eighty quarter sections, so I lost no time in going to Salem to ascertain in whose interests the selection had been made, and was much surprised, on examining the records, to find that my old friend Jones had gobbled up the land.
It occurred to me that Jones had evidently found a much better and cheaper method of getting those eighty quarter sections than to run chances of attempting to obtain title by filing the forty people under the Timber and Stone Act, and the Homestead law, as was previously arranged. At that time there was a temporary withdrawal of the "Crater Lake" reserve, and I discovered, upon investigation, that Jones had filed applications for the State indemnity embraced in said reserve, selecting in lieu thereof the eighty quarter sections in Township 3 North, Range 7 West.
Some weeks later, the Certificates of Purchase were issued and turned over to Jones. At this stage of the proceedings, I called to mind a certain agreement between Henry Meldrum, Jones and myself, whereby we had promised to pay Meldrum $5 each for inserting the names of settlers on the field notes and plats. As Jones was soon to become possessed of the claims, I thought best to ascertain if Meldrum had received his money and if not, to notify him that I had no further interest in the matter and that he must look to Jones for a settlement. This I did, learning that settlement had not been made, so I notified Jones to meet Mr. Meldrum and myself at the Perkins Hotel in Portland that evening.
When Jones came to the hotel the subject of a settlement with Meldrum was broached, but he refused to pay over the money, nor would he agree to become obligated in any manner for the amount due, stating that the old deal had been declared off and that the lands were now owned by Mr. Mays and himself. Meldrum insisted on some kind of a settlement, stating that he had complied with his contract, and as Jones was to get the land, it was only fair that he should settle. Jones then told Meldrum that it was part of the duties of his office to insert the names of all bona-fide settlers on the field notes and the plat of the survey, and that, if he attempted to make collection for the work involved in the "3-7" case, he would make things warm for him. In reply to this, Meldrum admitted the truth of Jones' contention as regards his duty, but stated that, at the time of inserting the names, he supposed that the "3-7" deal was legitimate, and he wondered at Jones and I making him such a proposition.
However, he had discovered since that the transaction on our part was not on the square, so far as trying to obtain title to the land was concerned, and that, under these circumstances, and because of the fact that we had pulled the wool over his eyes and promised to pay a stipulated amount for services which he would have performed anyway, it was his purpose to see that the bill was paid. As Jones was to have the land, he must pay the fiddler, and to show that he meant business, Meldrum produced from his pocket a telegraph blank, and commenced to write. When he had completed his message, he handed it to Jones and stated that the same would be forwarded to the General Land Office at Washington, D. C, within one hour, unless the amount due was forthcoming. The telegram read, in substance, as follows:
To the Commissioner of the General Land Office,
Washington, D. C.
On November 11, 1892, the Clerk of the School Board of the State of Oregon filed an indemnity selection list in the Oregon City Land Office, embracing all the tracts now occupied by bona-fide settlers in Township 3 North, Ranges 7 and 8 West, Willamette Meridian, using as basis for such selections the school sections lost to the State by the temporary withdrawal within the limits of the "Crater Lake" Reserve, which is not available for that purpose as yet.
O. B. Govt-collect.
Deputy U S. Surveyor.
Upon reading the telegram, Jones asked Meldrum to remain at the hotel until his return, promising to be back inside of an hour, and hurried off to find Mays.
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